Knitted pile fabrics



Allg- 1959 v G. E. HERRNSTADT ETAL 2,899,813

KNITTED PILE FABRICS Filed July 25, 1957 WARP LINE INVENTORS MZJMMp BY 2 5+ 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 2 ,899,813 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 KNITTED PILE FABRICS Gerald E. Herrnstadt, Cornwall, and John L. Hubbard, Cornwall on the Hudson, N.Y., assignors to The Firth Carpet Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a curporation of New York Application July 25, 1957, Serial No. 674,154

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-191) This invention pertains to knitted pile fabrics having a backing formed of chain stitch warps, a plurality of base wefts extending individually back and forth over a plurality of the warp lines, and pile tufts bound in the backing by respective bights of the stitches of the chain stitch warps.

While this invention is directed particularly to pile fabric floor coverings, the same principles are applicable to fine gauge pile fabrics such as upholstery.

The outstanding advantage of the novel knitted pile fabrics of this invention resides in the utilization of face yarn with the greatest of economy by so utilizing it as to avoid dead lengths of back and forth and up and down runs.

Knitted pile fabrics involving generally similar construction are described in U. S. Patent No. 2,718,132 of G. E. Herrnstadt.

Novel methods and means by which the knitted pile fabrics of this invention may be produced commercially in a wide range of color design are fully disclosed in copending application Serial Number 674,142, filed on July 25, 1957, in the name of John L. Hubbard.

The details of the pile fabric constructions of this invention will more fully be understood from a consideraation of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially diagrammatic top plan view of a unique knitted pile fabric construction embodying the weave principles of this invention; and

Fig. 2 shows to a greatly enlarged scale the interrelation of chain stitch warps, base wefts, and a pile yarn tuft. In these figures the Weave sections have been expanded for clarity of illustration. 7

This exemplary construction comprises four vertical warp rows, 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the form of knit chains, and three weftwise or horizontal weft ends w, a, and b running parallel and interknitted with the chain stitch warp rows. These base wefts w, a, and b, extend individually back and forth across at least three of the chain stitch warps. Pile yarn that is preferably in the form of U- shaped tufts t, which are bound into the backing solely by respective bights of the stitches of the chain stitch warps, complete the fabric.

Any suitable pile yarn may be used for the pile surface of the knitted fabric construction of this invention.

Ordinarily Wool, cotton, rayon, nylon or other synthetic yarns and blends thereof will be used according to the quality of the product and the use for which it is intended.

To ensure that the knitted fabric will maintain its shape and size, and to fill in the base spaces, a coating of backing material such as a latex rubber solution that will dry readily is applied to the thus formed fabric. This back coating when dry locks the tuft t firmly in place and prevents slippage of the fioor covering over a slippery surface.

The three transversely extending hase wefts w, a, and b extend individually back and forth across at least three of the warp rows in successive courses, and each pile yarn end or U-shaped tuft t is bound in the backing very securely between the bight of a chain stitch warp and the opposed portion of the next or following stitch, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

In accordance with the construction disclosed each pile yarn tuft is tied in securely by opposed stitch elements and positioned in line with a respective warp row.

Those skilled in this art will understand that changes can be made in the preferred mode of practicing the invention as herein disclosed without departing from the principles thereof and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A knitted pile fabric comprising a plurality of parallel chain stitch warps having the stitches thereof aligned transversely in courses, laid in base wefts extending individually back and forth in successive courses, each across three adjacent chains, and U-pile tufts bound individually in the backing only by a respective bight of-the stitches of the chain stitch warps and the opposed bight portion of the following stitch of the same warp engaging the bend portion of the tuft between them. 2. A knitted pile fabric floor covering comprising a plurality of parallel chain stitch warps having the stitches thereof aligned transversely in courses, laid in base wefts extending individually back and forth diagonally across a plurality of the chain stitch warps in successive courses, and U-pile tufts bound individually in the backing only by a respective bight of the stitches of the chain stitch warps and the opposed bight portion ,of the following stitch of the same warp engaging the bend portion of the U-pile tuft between them.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,396,525 Newman Mar. 12, 1946 2,476,153 Little et al. July 12, 1949 2,531,718 Rice Nov. 28, 1950 2,690,661 Briggs Oct. 5, 1954 2,705,880 Kinzinger .et al. Apr. 12, 1955 2,711,168 Brickman et al. June 21, 1955 2,718,132 Herrnstadt Sept. 20, 1955 

